Georgian achma
Description
Homemade pastries for tea. The Georgian version of achma requires suluguni cheese, a brined cheese. If you can't find this cheese, you can use regular cottage cheese and a bit of hard cheese instead. During baking in the oven, achma always puffs up, but don't worry—once you take it out of the oven, the dough will settle back down. Now you know how to make authentic Georgian achma. Serve with tea or coffee.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Mix a simple dough using flour, salt, eggs, and water by any convenient method. You can knead the dough using a mixer with attachments or by hand. Sift the flour into a bowl, make a depression in the center, add the eggs, salt, and gradually pour in the water, stirring with a spoon or your hand. Once the dough comes together, turn it out onto a work surface and knead for 7–10 minutes, stretching and folding it until it becomes soft and elastic. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 20–30 minutes.
- 2
Step 2
Divide the dough into 10 parts.
- 3
Step 3
Grease the baking pan (24-26 cm) with butter and dust with flour.
- 4
Step 4
Roll out one piece of dough very thinly. Line the bottom of the pan with it, letting the edges hang over. Brush with melted butter.
- 5
Step 5
Cut the suluguni into pieces.
- 6
Step 6
Boil water in a saucepan and season with salt to taste. Fill a frying pan with cold water. Roll out all the pieces of dough thinly, dip them first into the boiling water, then immediately into the cold water.
- 7
Step 7
Layer the dough in the pan, alternating with cheese. Brush each piece of dough with melted butter.
- 8
Step 8
The last piece of dough should not be dipped in water. Simply place it on top and tuck the edges inside. Fold the edges of the bottom dough layer toward the center. Generously brush the top with oil.
- 9
Step 9
Bake the achma in the oven for 1 hour at 180 degrees.
- 10
Step 10
The pastry is ready. Serve with tea.